Russia and Ukraine agree to truce for Orthodox Easter

Russia and Ukraine agree to truce for Orthodox Easter 2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSarah RainsfordEastern Europe correspondent in KyivReutersMetropolitan Epiphanius I, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, sprinkles holy water to bless Easter cakes which are to be transferred to Ukrainian servicemen fighting on the frontline, during a ceremony at St Michael's Cathedral before Orthodox Easter, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 9, 2026.Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a truce for Orthodox Easter, with Vladimir Putin saying he's ordered Russian troops to cease fire "in all directions" this weekend.The declaration from Moscow came after Volodymyr Zelensky issued repeated calls for a ceasefire, all ignored by the Kremlin.Now Putin has announced a truce from 16:00 local time (14:00 BST) on Saturday 11 April through Easter Sunday, adding that he expected Ukraine to "follow the example" of Russia. He ordered his forces to be ready to intercept "possible enemy provocations" and any "aggressive actions." ​Russia's tone, and the attempt to steal the initiative, will make Ukrainians bristle.But Zelensky soon posted on X that Ukraine was "ready for symmetrical steps"."People need an Easter free from threats and real movement toward peace," he wrote. "Russia has a chance not to return to strikes after Easter as well."Earlier this week, Zelensky said he had asked the United States to pass on a proposal for a holiday weekend truce to Moscow, as a first step.Any respite from the fighting would be welcome for the soldiers along the long frontline in eastern Ukraine, where they're hounded relentlessly by attack drones.It would also allow people to relax across the country, where air raid sirens are part of the everyday and Russian missiles and drones continue to kill and injure civilians.Just recently, several people were killed when a drone targeted their bus in Nikopol in the south-eas...